Smoke and Mirrors
by GreenNinja23
Summary: "We were the ones to destroy the world; we should be the ones to save it." Locked away in a unforgiving world full of people and monsters who want them dead, Annabeth Chase and the other Elementals are only left with one option. Redemption.
1. Chapter 1

_~12 Years Old~_

 _He stepped through the security gate, eyes wide with fascination. Buttons glowed as they passed by. His twelve year old mind amazed by everything he was seeing. His mother watched him_ _from the other side of the large gate as it slowly began to shut_ _with nervous eyes and clasped hands but he only offered her a bright smile and a wave before the principle was leading him towards the front doors. The guards that had escorted them to the building were still frowning as they escorted his mother back to their car._

 _The atmosphere was exhilarating and unlike his other schools, he began to feel at home right away. No one was staring at him as if he was a monster; no one was watching him as if they were waiting for him to attack them all. His mom had told him the stories and he knew people were afraid of what he was but here, no one seemed to care._

 _The students walking by continued on with their daily lives, ignoring him completely or barely glancing his way. It was refreshing to not be the freak for once; to be in a place where someone like him was considered normal._

" _We've been waiting for a student just like you Mr. Jackson." Principle Alvis complimented. "If I may be frank, you complete the set. We have plenty of other students who have special abilities such as yourself but only three others can control the elements; you four are going to be the key to protecting our country's problems. Here you will be safe."_

" _Woah." Percy gasped when Principle Alvis pushed open the main door. The school was huge. Marble walls seemingly stretching forever and a ceiling that seemed to be as high as the clouds themselves. Students wandered through the halls absently; millions of conversations going on at once._

 _Percy saw a girl with green tinted skin laugh; a bright, yellow flower blooming behind her ear as she did._

 _A boy with curly brown hair walked by; his tool belt clanking against his hip. A large robot followed behind him like a lost puppy and Percy was amazed when the boy flicked his wrist and the robot's palm morph to have a small cup holder. The boy grinned and placed his drink in the holder before continuing on his way._

 _A girl slammed her locker shut with enough force to bend it completely; the lockers surrounding it even seemed to shake._

 _A boy laughed happily as he zipped down the hall; Percy blinked and in the second it took, the boy had disappeared._

 _Percy's smile widened as he took everything in. Then he remembered the principle's words and gasped excitedly._

" _You mean I get to be a superhero!?"_

 _Principle Alvis chuckled but nodded._

" _In a way." He agreed. "You may know about the creatures attacking the world and how schools just like ours have been scattered across the globe to help gather students with gifts like yours to protect us."_

" _Wow." Percy whispered. "I'm gonna be a super hero."_

 _Principle Alvis chuckled and ushered him down the hall with another wave. Percy was still awestruck by the school and the students inside. He could hear the principle greeting several students by name and wondered if he would be as well liked as Principle Alvis. They came to stop in front of a steel door. Principle Alvis smiled comfortingly._

" _Now Percy, I know how wonderful your gift is. You're one of the main four; almost a national treasure. I want you to meet the other three. They will become your partners in the fight against evil and hopefully in time…your friends."_

 _Percy held his breath as Principle Alvis slowly pushed open the door. He heard the swoosh before feeling the hot air smack his skin; his eyes shutting from the sensation. Percy held up his hands defensively and a water shield that quickly hardened into ice formed in front of his hands. The air grew quiet; the heat disappeared._

 _Percy released the water shield with a sheepish smile; he wasn't used to controlling it quite yet. Principle Alvis eyes were almost sparkling from the display. Percy looked into the room to find three people staring back at him. He could almost guess their talents based on how they presented themselves._

 _The boy who floated two feet off the ground, a happy smile on his face, was clearly able to control the air around him. When his sky blue eyes met Percy's sea green ones, he lifted his hand in a wave before bowing quickly in greeting. Principle Alvis straighten next to him._

" _Jason Grace; Air."_

 _The dark haired girl next to him cracked her knuckles with a smirk as she sized him up. Her blue eyes were gleaming with mischief. She was barefoot despite being indoors and Percy wasn't surprised to see a crusty layer of dried mud coating the bottom of her feet. If feet could have abs; Percy was sure hers would have an eight pack. She wiggled her toes and Percy felt the ground rumbling beneath him as if it was purring for her._

" _Thalia Grace; Earth."_

 _When Percy turned to meet the last person in the room; he swore all the air left his lungs. This girl had to be fire; she was_ _ **hot.**_ _Percy blushed at his thoughts. Not hot in the attractive sense –though who was he kidding she_ _ **was**_ _—but the way she carried herself just screamed dangerous, uncontrollable if handled the wrong way, and beautiful; everything fire was. Percy felt his throat go dry when her steel eyes narrowed. Everything about her was intimidating in an exciting way. He figured he should be afraid of her; more wary then interested because she was his opposite but he couldn't tear his eyes away._

 _Principle Alvis cleared his throat when he regarded her._

" _Annabeth Chase: Fire."_

 _Annabeth. Percy mused to himself. Now_ _ **that**_ _was a name he knew he would remember. Annabeth's eyes flickered over to Principle Alvis's but ultimately settled back on his. Percy gulped under her heated gaze and offered her a sheepish wave. Her eyes narrowed but she said nothing._

" _Are you going to give Percy a demonstration?" Principle Alvis asked curiously, his tone suggesting it was more of a demand then a suggestion. Annabeth trained her glare on him and Percy felt a shiver go down his spine. She lifted her hands, fingers spread and palms up but clenched them tightly._

" _No."_

 _The one word was somehow cold as ice. Principle Alvis's eyes narrowed and they had a small showdown before Percy coughed to try and defuse the tension. He lifted his own hand and let water swirl around his fingertips. Though they had seen his display of protection earlier, Percy knew it was still a sight to see when his made water float in the air as if it was weightless. Jason gasped and dropped to the ground silently as he leaned closer to watch._

" _It's beautiful." He whispered appreciatively. Percy smiled._

" _Percy Jackson; Water." He introduced himself. Principle Alvis grinned and shoved him a little closer to the trio before heading towards the door._

" _Yes, well why don't the four of you get to know each other and meet me in the gym in a few hours?" His eyes drifted over to Annabeth's. "You're running the show today; don't forget."_

" _How could I? You're constantly reminding me."_

 _Principle Alvis merely smiled at her tone and disappeared behind the closed steel door. Percy sighed and turned to meet his new partners with a bright smile. Jason smiled back, Thalia looked at him as if he was fresh meat and Annabeth regarded him with steel eyes. He clapped his hands together and let water cover them like gloves._

" _I have a good feeling about this!"_

0~0~0~0~0

Annabeth slowly breathed in and held her breath for a few seconds before deeply exhaling. The room was growing warmer and a thin layer of sweat coated her skin as she continued to meditate. The torches she had lit to prevent herself from being in complete darkness were growing and shrinking in synch with her breaths and even with her eyes closed, Annabeth could still feel them moving across from her. The fire seemed to hum to her the larger she let it grow.

 _Annabeth shhh. Just stay in there a little longer. You can breathe; the dark can't hurt you._

Annabeth felt her eye twitch and a few small embers broke free of her control to lick her skin as they sizzled out in the air around her. Taking a longer breath, she tried to drown out his words and replace them with her own.

 _Annabeth shhh. Just stay in there a little longer. You can breathe; the dark can't hurt you._

It was always those words; those haunting words that always seemed to follow her no matter where she went. Meditation was supposed to help her control her power and escape into her mind to bring her spiritual peace. She had regrets and guilts that she could never truly atone for but taking these moments of the day to simply breathe and be with her element could help her forget, if only for a few minutes. She could forget what she was, what she did and what had happened to her…if only for a few minutes.

Just as she began to recontrol her emotions and her fire, there was a loud knock on her door. The kind of knock that had her gasping lightly and making her eyes pop open. The very same knock she heard every morning for the past five years. Annabeth rubbed her temple as she uncrossed her legs and stood up to walk towards the door. She wasn't ready for this yet. He would greet her the same way he did every morning.

When the door slid open, Percy grinned at her brightly and offered her a breakfast muffin; her favorite one.

"Hey Annabeth! I thought I would come and get you a few minutes early so we could walk to the gym together. The welcome ceremony is starting soon."

The welcome ceremony.

The ceremony they held every year to welcome the newest of abnormals into their school.

The same ceremony that put her and her partners smack in the middle of the school for everyone to stare at. They were supposed to represent all the abnormals and unite them but Annabeth felt like she was being studied under bright lights and judged for what she was. She tried to find ways out of going every year and every year she still found herself under those stares.

Annabeth held back a tired sigh. She must have been making a face because Percy smiled at her sympathetically and easily stepped past her to enter her room. He turned her to face him and wrapped an arm around her shoulder before offering her the muffin again.

"You know he only puts us on display like that because the four of us are one of kind. Only four abnormals can be elementals in each generation. We're basically poster boys for this place y'know? And we're practically superheroes known around the globe."

Annabeth grabbed the muffin and easily shrugged off his arm. She glared at the muffin as she picked at it. Once she noticed the flames of the torches growing as her irritation did, she took another breath and glanced up at Percy as patiently as she could.

"We're rarely seen as heroes Percy and you know why."

"We've had some papers and news reporters call us heroes. Not everyone sees us as monsters."

Annabeth's eyes fell back to her muffin and the hands that held it. The burns on the rest of her body had faded over time but the burns on her palms had never disappeared; faded maybe but still clearly visible. She had learned young just how uncontrollable fire was and paid the price. Annabeth let a small puff of air leave her nose and shook her head.

"Well I'm sure _you've_ been seen as a hero. Water is not something to fear."

Cool hands covered hers gently. His touch had become comforting in the years they had grown side by side. She could remember how often she would flinch away from his touch when they had first met. It had always been so cold and she worried somehow it could hurt her and her element. Percy had made it his personal goal to make her realize his element wasn't something to fear and insisted on touching her hands or arms until his touch simply became second nature. She grew used to it and often relied on it when she couldn't cool her hands on her own.

Annabeth gently pulled her hands free of his comforting touch and gave him the usual look. She would always try to look annoyed and even angry but it always somehow ended up looking like she was apologizing. Percy sighed.

"You'll get used to me holding your hand someday you know? When you're officially my girl."

Ah there it was; another usual morning routine of his. Annabeth rolled her eyes affectionately and brushed past him. Percy eagerly followed like he usually did. She peeled off a small chunk of her muffin and popped it into her mouth as they walked towards the gym together.

"You've been saying that for a few years now." Annabeth reminded him. "And yet here I am, still peacefully single and Percy-boyfriend-free."

"I'm waiting for the right moment."

Annabeth shook her head and let a small laugh break through her lips. While he had been shy with his affection when they were younger, when they began to fully grow into their bodies, Percy became emboldened and easily told her his feelings. He had announced to the entire school only a year before that he planned to marry her and that it was only a matter of time until she ignored the 'stupid rule' about elementals being together and admitted she was in love with him.

"You know the rule Percy." Annabeth reminded him once again. She couldn't count how many times she would have to say it in a day. Now she simply told him 'rule' when he was crossing a line he knew he wasn't supposed to.

"It's a stupid rule Annabeth!" Percy argued childishly. He walked a little ahead only to turn around and walk backwards so he could face her. "We can't be together because they're worried we won't be able to pass on the elemental gene? We'll just have two kids! One water and one fire."

Annabeth simply popped another piece of her muffin into her mouth. Percy groaned loudly. He knew the rule and he knew she wouldn't budge on it.

Normally abnormals were born randomly; a lucky pick if you will. Sometimes there were siblings who had abnormal abilities but when the parents were tested for it, both would come up negative. Most of the time, abnormals were simply born with a special gene and no explanation. They would be raised by their parents until they reached an age where they could no longer control their ability –or control it _too well_ in some cases—and be sent to one of the abnormals schools in the nation.

Elemental abnormals were different. The gene that made them what they are could usually been found somewhere in their family tree. It could skip generations but it was always found traced back to the same man.

A man who went by many names; a man who had once been able to control all four elements. The legend went that this man took four different lovers and had a child with each one. Fearing for the world once he was gone, the man gifted each child with one element to control and pass down so the world would always be protected.

Elementals were expected to marry and conceive a child with a normal human to ensure that their power would be passed down and continued. There were cases of elementals conceiving with other abnormals but the abnormals they married had abilities that complimented their element and usually produced an elemental child.

There was an unspoken rule for the elements that they are not to conceive with another elemental. There was too high of a risk of not producing an elemental child or even worse, creating an elemental child that controlled two elements instead of one. It could ruin the balance and the cycle.

Annabeth was smart for her age and didn't really see such 'catastrophes' happening as it was basic human genetics controlling all of it and the chances of a child being born with two elemental abilities was close to impossible, there was still a sliver of possibility and that small sliver built a large wall between her and Percy and made it impossible for her to think of them being together. Late in the night, she might find herself musing about what it might be like to be _more_ with Percy but she would quickly remember the rule and Principle's Alvis's threats and push the taboo thoughts away.

It never stopped Percy though.

"Thalia and Jason are siblings and you don't see anyone freaking out about it!" Percy huffed. Annabeth gave him a look.

"They were raised in the same foster home Percy. They took their foster mother's last name but they both have different parents. Siblings by bond but not by blood." Annabeth took another bite of her muffin. "We have this conversation every morning. You should know by now how it ends."

"One morning you'll get tired of resisting and just fall into my arms." Percy jested, his eyebrows wiggling suggestively. Since he was still walking backwards and unable to see where he was going, he walked straight into the gym doors and acted as a great barrier as Annabeth crashed into him. His arms instantly went around her waist as he smiled down at her. "See we've already started."

The door next to them opened and made her jump out of Percy's arms in fear of Principle Alvis catching them in such a positon. Thalia and Jason appeared in the open doorway and greeted both of them. Thalia –always being the one to have a sixth sense about anything regarding her and Percy—grinned cheekily and tapped on the door.

"The ceremony is about to start but if you want, we can give you love birds another minute or two."

"Yes please."

" _No."_

Jason laughed and shook his head before opening the door wider for her. Annabeth nodded at him thankfully and brushed past her three partners to enter the gym.

Their gym was different than usual high schools and could easily be called an arena. It was one of many training grounds throughout the school and was built to be protected against most abnormal abilities. The bleachers they had built in for the humans to observe them, now held their abnormals eagerly waiting for their new year at Goode to start. Both new and familiar faces stared back at her as Annabeth glanced up.

She took another breath to try and calm her racing heart as Principle Alvis met her eye. He grinned and urged them all over to the chairs beside him and the other teachers. Annabeth practically jogged to her seat and tried to prevent her knee from bouncing when Percy sat on the other side of her and casually threw his arm over the back of her chair; his fingers brushing her shoulders. She glanced over at him as Principle Alvis began the ceremony.

"Rule." She hissed lowly. Percy scoffed playfully and threw his other arm over the back of Thalia's chair. Annabeth sighed and simply ignored him as Principle Alvis gestured to the four of them.

"-and these are our elementals! Think of them as ASB officers for the school. If you have questions or worries, please feel free to ask them."

 _Please don't._ Annabeth gritted her teeth. She scowled as the new students began to whisper amongst each other; murmured voices all blending together. No doubt they were talking about the elementals' history.

No doubt they were afraid of what they could do; what they have done.

Annabeth jumped when Percy gently pinched her shoulder. He had just been introduced, meaning she was next. When Principle Alvis said her name, his voice filled with barely contained annoyance, Annabeth fought back a smirk as she raised her hand to the crowd.

A hush fell over the crowd as Principle Alvis rubbed his eyes, his glasses being pushed up higher on his face. His face became remorseful and Annabeth clasped her hands together in her lap to have something else to focus on. Percy's cold fingertips gently tapped her shoulder in a soft melody to help distract her. They all never liked this part.

"As many of you know, a hundred years ago, there was a devastating tragedy that almost destroyed the world and everyone in it."

Annabeth sucked in a breath as she felt everyone's stares on her and the other elementals. She hated this; why would Principle Alvis do this to them? Put them on display like this and remind everyone?

"Volcanos exploded and erupted all over the nation and created monsters made entirely of lava. The oceans grew and spread tsunamis', destroying several cities and letting creatures from the deep come to the surface. When the Earth's first layer was broken, creatures we didn't know existed broke free and now roam up here on the surface. All these monsters attack the humans and threaten our existence. The government created schools across the nation to act as a safe haven for the abnormals. As long as you help us protect the country and fight these creatures, you will always have somewhere safe to rest."

 _And if you don't help us? Well good luck staying alive out there. If the monsters don't kill you; the humans will._

Annabeth lightly scoffed. The threat hung heavily in the air and the younger abnormals in the crowd began to quiver. She remembered being that scared of death. Back then, trading part of her freedom for her safety had been a good idea. Now she wasn't so sure.

"You will be protected here. You'll have dorms to stay in, food to eat and friends to stand by your side. You'll have to complete both academic and abnormal courses to ensure you'll have both the strength and knowledge to survive out of the school but once the courses are completed, you'll be assigned to a team and a city and help whenever there is an attack."

Annabeth zoned out once Principle Alvis began to explain how they will balance both academic school and abnormal training. It was something she had heard for years and nothing was new; she knew how it worked around here.

"I remember thinking we would be kings and queens around here." Thalia whispered to the three of them. Annabeth glanced over at her. "But even the young abnormals get to leave the school grounds. The four of us are on permanent lock down around here. We're only allowed to help if we have those stupid agents watching our every move."

"You know why the humans don't want us out there Thalia." Annabeth reminded her coolly. Thalia sighed and leaned back in her chair.

"It's not so bad is it?" Jason asked quietly. "I mean we all have our own rooms and they're bigger and nicer than the others. And we're so close to graduating. We have more freedom then the other abnormals."

"We get to stay out in the training grounds an hour later then everyone Jase." Percy laughed quietly. "I wouldn't exactly call that 'more freedom'."

"But it's something." Jason reminded them. Annabeth smiled lightly. Jason was always the type to look on the bright side. He was good to have by your side during the darker times. Thalia smiled at her brother but shrugged.

"Yeah but sometimes I miss the outside world." She sighed. "I miss the way the Earth feels against my feet. I know they have that field for me but it's so small compared to the rest of the world. I know there's more out there for me. I can feel it sometimes. The Earth calls to me and I'm stuck here."

"I wouldn't mind knowing what the oceans feel like." Percy agreed wistfully. "I mean could you imagine what I could do with all that water around me?"

 _Bad thoughts!_ Annabeth internally screamed. If anyone else heard him say something like that, he would be locked away faster than anyone could blink. The world had already seen what someone like Percy could do with all that water. Annabeth stiffened as Principle Alvis glanced over at them. She quickly nudged Percy to make him stop talking and the four of them fell into silence once more.

They barely had the freedom of speech around here either. Annabeth felt boxed in. The gym began to feel like it was closing in around her and she sighed in relief when Principle Alvis signaled for them to stand. The ceremony was almost over.

"Now to officially welcome you to our school-"Principle Alvis gave them all a quick look. "-our elementals will each light their panels."

Annabeth held back a sigh. Just like every year previous, Thalia started them off. The gym held each of their elements and Principle Alvis always liked to show them off like toys to the new students.

"Earth!" Thalia shouted as she pounded her fist into the floor. The ground rumbled beneath their feet and seemingly purred as Thalia delicately ran her fingers over the surface. A large green panel above their heads and on the wall behind them began to glow.

"Water." Percy yelled next. The water fountain near the door began to shake before a large stream of water was flying towards them and surrounding Percy like a hula hoop. The blue panel lit up a beautiful sea blue.

"Fire!" Annabeth roared half-heartedly. She glanced down at her palms briefly. Her scars seemed to glow as small flames erupted from her palms. Unable to stop herself from staring at them, Annabeth shook her head and changed tactics. She put the flames in her hands and yelled her element once more; letting out another roar. Fire exploded from her mouth and into the air above her. She remembered that Percy had called her a dragon the first time he had seen her do it. The red panel glowed as brightly as her flame.

"Air!" Jason bellowed finally. A large swirl of air blew throughout the room and shook her fire. Annabeth felt her hair blowing around her face. The white panel lit up next and the four panels linked together to form a perfect circle.

All the elements shone together to show unity. Principle Alvis clapped loudly and the students carefully followed his example. Annabeth quickly put out her flame and the red panel faded. She rubbed her hands together and coughed a few times to ease the small ache in her throat. She would need to work on how long she could hold her 'dragon's roar' as Percy liked to affectionately call it.

Annabeth stormed past her friends and came to a halt next to Principle Alvis. The other students in the stands began to gather their things and walk down the steps but she could feel their eyes on her. Principle Alvis stared down at her calmly.

"I hope you enjoyed the show." She seethed as quietly as she could. Principle Alvis shrugged indifferently.

"Your flames could have been bigger and hotter." He told her passively. Annabeth huffed and felt small embers escaping her nose. She would need to work on controlling her anger around Alvis again.

"Fine." Annabeth fumed. "I'll make sure you feel like you're in hell the next time I use them then."

Principle Alvis grinned pleasantly.

"I'm looking forward to it." Annabeth held back a growl when she felt Percy's cool hands fall gently on her shoulders and began to steer her away. "I'll see you tomorrow morning Miss. Chase."

Annabeth bit her tongue to prevent from saying anything that would get her in trouble later. Percy mumbled a quick goodbye to Principle Alvis as he began to tug her towards the doors. Thalia and Jason quickly rushed to her side. Students cleared a path for them as she stomped down the hall, her fellow elementals casually trailing behind her.

Annabeth felt her entire body growing hot when she watched a small group of abnormals debriefing before their trip to the outside. They would be gone within the hour and free to roam wherever they wanted as they battled whatever monster they were chasing. Jealously clawed bitterly at her chest. She wanted to be free too; she wanted to be outside these walls where her flame could grow as large as she wanted.

Thalia threw her arm over her shoulder and barely flinched when Annabeth's skin lightly burned hers. Thalia began to steer her towards the fenced field they would practice in.

"C'mon Chase, let's go a few rounds." Thalia suggested quickly. "You put up a good fight when you're this fired up."

"How can it not make you guys mad?" Annabeth huffed. She let the others take her to the field. "We're feared for something we didn't even do. We've been locked away. Fire burns out if it's locked away!"

"We have each other Annabeth." Percy reminded her. "It won't be like this forever. Right now, we just have to put up with this. Once the world is back to normal, things will change. Wounds will heal and eventually we'll be out of these walls."

Annabeth didn't say anything after that as they all prepared to train together but she couldn't shake her thoughts. Waiting for the world to go back to normal after all the damage it was put through? Could they wait that long? Could _she_ wait that long? Could they wait and let the other abnormals fix the problems other elementals had caused while the four of them just sat back and watched?

Annabeth stared down at her palms and the scars that marred her skin. She knew how dangerous she could be.

She could wait for now. She would let them box her up but not for too much longer. Fire burns out if it's contained for too long…Annabeth wouldn't let them burn her out.

Maybe Percy was right.

It was just a matter of waiting for the right moment.

* * *

 _Headcannons:_

 _~Percy only started bringing Annabeth muffins as an excuse to see her every morning. He slept in one morning and missed breakfast, making Annabeth panic as she thought he had died in his sleep since he hadn't been at her door with a muffin. He still reminds her of that day when she insists she doesn't think of him romantically._

 _~When the elementals all first met, Annabeth hadn't spoken to any of them for weeks. It wasn't until Jason farted as a joke and made the smell circulate throughout the room, did she gag and ask him what had died in his stomach._

 _~The first time Percy tried to hold Annabeth's hand -on instinct- she panicked and practically lit her hand on fire. Percy anticipated this and created a water glove, which cause smoke to explode from their hands and set off the fire alarm._

 **Here we go again on another adventure guys. This one is a little different from Saudade but it is also an angst/romance.**

 **Its based on my one shot The Elements and could almost be considered a remastered and better version of Controlling What's Inside.**

 **I'm probably going to stick with doing flashbacks in the beginning of the chapter that has something to do with the rest of the chapter and headcannons at the end of each chapter. I think they're cute :3**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **~20 reviews equals a sneak peek at the end of the next chapter~**


	2. Chapter 2

_~12 Years Old~_

 _Annabeth sat in the corner of her room as she struggled to calm down. What did the others know? Their abilities weren't as frightening as hers; their abilities didn't hurt others if they lost control. It had only been two years since she learned what she could do. It had been an accident and she had learned quickly that fire needed to be controlled._

 _They had been playing. Jason had been practicing controlling the air beneath his feet so he could fly and demanded that the rest of them tried to catch him in a game of tag. Thalia and Percy had been so excited and eagerly began using their elements to propel them upwards to try and catch him. Annabeth wanted to play too but didn't know how she could catch him. She wanted to win; it was only in her nature._

 _She ran across the training field and grinned when she saw Thalia begin to create floating steps. She jumped and propelled herself off the wall, used one of Thalia's rocks as a boost and flew towards Jason. Not realizing she was letting embers float off her skin and into the hot air around her, Annabeth gleefully tackled the unsuspecting Jason from the sky and towards the ground below._

 _He cried out in a panic when she crashed into him. Annabeth didn't realize she had created a fire circle around them as they fell until she saw Jason's clothes begin to smoke. Panicking and feeling her hands begin to shake, Annabeth shoved Jason out of her arms as they hit the ground. Thalia cried out in distress as she rushed over to her brother as Annabeth scrambled to stand up. Percy was running towards her as she began to shake uncontrollably, the scars on her hands felt like they were pulsing._

" _I-I'm sorry. I d-didn't—I just wanted—I'm sorry!"_

 _Principle Alvis and one of the teachers from the upper classrooms raced towards them. As the teacher—who Annabeth later remembered was named Chiron—checked over Jason, Principle Alvis grabbed her and began to tug her towards the doors leading back into the school. Percy was still running towards them but Principle Alvis held his hand up to prevent him from coming any further._

" _She'll be fine Percy. She just lost control; it happens often with fire." Principle Alvis shot her a piercing glare. "Fire is dangerous. It needs to be contained and controlled or it spreads and hurts everyone around it."_

" _She didn't mean to!" Percy cried out worriedly. Annabeth dropped her gaze to the ground when Percy tried to meet her eye. "We were just messing around."_

 _Principle Alvis simply repeated that everything was going to be okay and escorted her to her room. Annabeth tried to ignore Percy's disheartened gaze. As Annabeth stood in the doorway, her arms crossed defensively, Principle Alvis stared down at her._

" _The others are progressing well with their abilities. You seem to be the only one who isn't able to fully control your element. Why is that Miss. Chase?"_

 _Annabeth glared up at him._

" _You said so yourself, right? Fire is dangerous."_

 _0~0~0~0~0_

Everyone knew she would be in a bad mood the morning after the welcome ceremony. It was common knowledge to anyone who even dared to come near her door. All of the new abnormals were exploring the school and campus below her window as she gazed out.

Her room was on the far right of the building, higher above the rest of the dorms. Thalia had a ground floor dorm hidden away while Percy and Jason were in dorms on the left side of the school. Jason had a higher dorm so he could be closer to the sky while Percy's dorm was large enough to offer a small pool as a bathtub. Her room felt like a prison.

There was no flowers or pictures on the wall. The bed was covered with a basic comforter, the same comforter offered to the new abnormals before they decorated their rooms as they saw fit. She had no personal attachment to anything in her room, making it that much easier to leave. The option was never open to her but she liked knowing the second she _could_ leave, she wouldn't have to waste time gathering things from her room. The only thing she was attached to was hanging from her neck on a daily basis.

Annabeth's fingers slowly reached up to grasp the small owl pendant her mother had worn every day of her life. When she had passed away, Annabeth's father had given her the necklace and never spoke of it again. It was all she had left. Annabeth didn't have pictures and her mother's face was slowly disappearing from her memories everyday she continued to live without her. Gripping the pendant a little harder, Annabeth shut her eyes and tried to focus on her breathing. It wouldn't help to further upset herself.

Sighing, Annabeth released the necklace and continued to watch the new abnormals explore the training grounds. Eager and unknowing smiles bloomed on their faces, making Annabeth's heart twist with guilt. They would never know the true nature of this school, offering protection as a ruse to lure and capture so many abnormals. Locking them away and pretending it was for their own good.

No one would listen to her if she tried to tell the truth though, so she never did. She simply watched those bright smiles fade year after year as realization became too clear to ignore. She too had once been in that position and found it painful to watch.

Hearing the usual morning knock on the door, Annabeth turned away from the window with another sigh and opened the door to find Percy smiling at her.

"You're the only one whose gutsy enough to see me after the welcome ceremony." Annabeth informed him, grabbing the muffin from his hands. "Thalia and Jason tend to stay away the morning after. Ever think I want the space?"

"You like my muffins too much." Percy teased with an easy grin. "I could never disappoint you."

Annabeth lifted an eyebrow and simply hummed under her breath. Percy shot her a look before rolling his eyes and leaning against her doorway. She took a small piece of the muffin and popped it into her mouth as Percy pointed behind him.

"Well I'm not the only guy with balls around here. I come with friends."

Annabeth wasn't surprised to see Nico step out from behind Percy and smirk at her. His dark eyes sparkled with mischief and she easily let a small flame lick her finger as she pointed at him. Nico's eyes darted to her finger before glancing at her muffin.

This was fairly common too. Nico had been one of the few abnormals around the school who hadn't been afraid of her when they first met. He had simply given her a once over in class before asking where she had gotten her muffin. He seemed to understand her in a way the other elementals couldn't and while they didn't see each other that often, whenever they did, Annabeth always left in a bit of a better mood.

"Watch it Shadow Boy." Annabeth warned with a small grin. "You know these muffins are mine."

"You heard the lady." Percy agreed, glancing behind him. "You can keep trying but you know she's never going to give you one."

"Too bad I don't have my own water Adonis to do it for me." Nico sighed. Annabeth rolled her eyes and took another bite of her muffin.

"You can take mine." She informed him, her mouth full of muffin. Nico grinned and shook his head before the bell rang throughout the building. Annabeth's mouth fell into a frown when they all glanced up and found it time for their classes. Nico would be in a different building from them for the rest of the day but she knew she would see him again when the sun went down. That's when he was most powerful.

"Well that's my cue. See you later." Nico saluted them both before disappearing into a black mist and seemingly through the floor. When Annabeth was sure he was gone, she sighed. Percy tilted her chin up and smiled at her gently.

"No matter what happens this year, we're together yeah?" Percy encouraged. "You can't let it bother you, Firecracker. We'll get through it."

Annabeth rolled her eyes at the nickname and handed Percy her unfinished muffin. Another one of their little games. Every once in a while, he would call her some annoying fire-related name and she would reject it. He would always insist he'd find the right name someday. She always called him crazy.

Brushing past him, she shut her door behind her and continued down the hall, knowing full well Percy was already following her.

" _Rule."_ Annabeth sing songed behind her, grinning when she heard his frustrated groan.

0~0~0~0~0

Thalia could literally feel the desk melting under Annabeth's fingertips. Pushing her chair as far away as possible, she grimaced. She always hated having class with Annabeth. Taken out of context that would sound cruel but it was true. Thalia thought Annabeth was one of the bravest and toughest fighters they had and without a doubt the smartest student but her element made it hard to be around her when she was fired up. Being anywhere near Principle Alvis always made Annabeth fired up and in turn put anyone around her in the blast zone.

Thalia wished Percy was around so he could do that weird hand thing they do. He'd cover his hands in water and cover hers, causing smoke to fill the room. It was a little messy but Annabeth would be okay for a while afterwards and therefore _safe._

Noticing the stares her blonde friend was getting from the other students, Thalia took a risk and nudged Annabeth's shoulder with her own. Annabeth gasped lightly and quickly lifted her hands off the desk in mild horror. They both grimaced at the deeply imbedded hand-shaped burn marks left on the wood of the desk. Annabeth sighed and used a fire finger to sign her initials at the bottom of it.

"He won't be so mad knowing he can make a few bucks off of it." Thalia reminded her, glancing at Alvis for only a moment.

"I hate signing these." Annabeth grumbled. "They're mistakes, not autographs to prove to the world I'm tamed under his care."

Unsure what Annabeth wanted her to say, Thalia settled for comfortingly placing her hand on Annabeth's shoulder. Annabeth glanced over at her with grateful eyes, causing Thalia to smile. Principle Alvis seemingly appeared out of nowhere next to them.

"Something you want to share with the class ladies?" He goaded with raised eyebrows. "Just because you two are Elementals doesn't mean you can get away with disrupting class."

"Well if I said what I was thinking right now, I'd be an _awful_ role model for all the younger students." Annabeth told him with a smug smile. Thalia resisted the urge to face palm. "We wouldn't want that now would we Alvis?"

" _No,_ we wouldn't." Alvis's tone grew darker as his eyes narrowed. "Don't push my buttons Annabeth. The year has only just begun, I would hate to start off on another bad note with you."

Thalia watched Annabeth scowl but bit her lip from saying anything further. She sighed and glanced up at the principle. She wasn't surprised to find him scowling right back. Thalia and Jason came to the school after Annabeth did and Percy came a few years later. By the time Thalia had gotten there and found out their situation, Annabeth and Principle Alvis already had a small feud. Thalia always thought of them as two lions, growling and circling each other, waiting for the other to attack though they never did.

It wasn't something she understood completely but she knew enough to know whenever they got like this, it was best to either diffuse the situation or simply take Annabeth away from it. Since they were currently in class and unable to really leave, Thalia laughed awkwardly causing Principle Alvis to glance down at her.

"Sorry for the disturbance Mr. Alvis." Thalia apologized awkwardly. "We'll try to keep it down."

"Good." Alvis said through tight lips. The irritation on his face slowly faded as he turned away from them. "I'll get you another desk tomorrow Annabeth."

Annabeth growled lowly next to her and Thalia rolled her lips when she noticed the embers licking off Annabeth's skin. She smacked a few of them away before sending a quick message to Percy. He was always better at handling Annabeth and Alvis then she was.

Thalia let her toes wiggle on the floor and sighed. The concrete beneath her feet was cold and unfeeling. The Earth called out to her pitifully and Thalia found herself longing to call back.

0~0~0~0~0

Jason silently walked down the hallway, his footsteps almost as light as air. Pausing to smile at a few of the new abnormals, he began to open his locker. He was given a bigger one when he first arrived at the school but as the years went on, Jason found he liked having a normal locker in the middle of the hall where anyone could see him. The other abnormals could see he was just like them, just with different abilities and hopefully they could become friends.

When Jason heard laughter, he quickly remembered the other reason he wanted a more common locker.

She walked down the hall with the rest of her friends grouped around her, smiling bashfully as she tucked a lock of dark hair behind her ear, Piper McLean came into full view. Jason gulped as he watched her. A draft beyond his control seemed to blow through the hall and around her. She laughed when her hair began to dance in the wind around her head. When their eyes met, Jason felt like he was about to faint.

When she waved goodbye to her friends and began to walk towards her locker, the one right next to his, Jason turned and tried to cool his red cheeks. The door beside him opened and when he dared to take a glance next to him, Piper was already smiling at him.

"Morning Jason!" She greeted sweetly, her smile widening when he awkwardly returned one.

"G-Good morning Piper."

"You did really well at yesterday's welcome ceremony! Even from the far end of the gym, my hair was blowing everywhere."

"Oh." Jason struggled to think of something to say. She was still watching him. "Well um, thank you."

"You're welcome."

Jason wanted her to say more. He just wanted to hear her voice. Piper smiled at him once more before turning to her locker to grab her books. He simply watched her like an idiot, struggling to think of something else to say that would keep the conversation going.

He had all the symptoms. His hands were clammy, his chest tight while his heart beat uncontrollably in his chest. His tongue was tied by the mere sight of her so he was left standing there, mute and wanting more.

"I'll see you a bit later right?" Piper asked shyly. Jason nodded, his entire head bobbing dramatically. Piper laughed and tucked another hair behind her ear. "Well I'm excited to see you go all out in the field today then."

"Y-Yeah." Jason stuttered nervously. "Um I'm going to be sparring with Percy today and maybe Annabeth in the next few days."

"Sounds awesome!" Piper cheered. She waved as she turned away. "I'll see you later then Jason!"

He watched her leave in a daze, his neck craning to follow her as she turned a corner. When she was completely out of sight, Jason let out a loud cheer and floated into the air like a balloon. The other abnormals watched him in bewilderment but he didn't care! She had talked to him! _Piper McLean_ had talked to _him!_ This wasn't the first time it had happened, but anytime he got to Piper felt like he won the lottery.

She was by far one of the most popular abnormals, maybe even competing with the Elementals. Her ability wasn't necessarily used for combat so she wasn't feared and she often put it to good use throughout the world.

She had arrived at the school about a year before Percy did and at the time, Jason was busy struggling with his element so he never truly noticed her. Piper and Percy became friends when Percy joined and when he came to introduce her to the other Elementals, Jason practically crashed to the ground.

He's been infatuated ever since and clearly, he was doomed to be stuck like this for a while. She was just so wonderful and nice. As his feet slowly came to hit the ground again, Percy snuck up behind him and gently water whipped the back of his head. Yelping, Jason reached up to grab his damp hair as Percy through an arm around his shoulder.

"Ah, love." Percy sighed dramatically with a teasing grin. "Wonderful feeling is it not?"

"You're no better with Annabeth." Jason grumbled. Percy squeezed his shoulder.

"Well at least my lady knows how I feel. You gotta lay all the cards out on the table my friend. Once you do that? You have your chance to make em fall at your feet, like Annabeth and I."

"In your dreams." Annabeth muttered as she passed them, Nico silently walking by her side. She barely glanced up from the book she was reading as she continued down the hall. Jason laughed at the usual dismissive response as Percy's arm slipped from his shoulders. Turning to his friend, Jason wasn't surprised to find Percy smiling at Annabeth's retreating figure.

"Man, I'm so in love with that girl."

Jason shook his head with a small laugh. _Love._ It really was interesting.

0~0~0~0~0

Percy cracked his knuckles before jumping up and down a few times to loosen himself up. Everyone was crowding in the stands around the training grounds and the large monitor above them was ready to broadcast their progress to the outside world.

Growing up, he had hated this part. Alvis was constantly throwing them into this field and having them put out for show for the public eye. He had told them it was because they were a sign of hope. As the days went on and they got stronger, they were only showing the humans that they were getting ready to put a stop to all the suffering their ancestors had caused in the past.

Annabeth hated it the most. Everyone treated her like an untamed beast. They would put her in a situation that makes her display her power then push away from her like she was something to fear. Percy knew better; he was one of the few.

Glancing next to him, Percy found Jason and Thalia waiting for Alvis to officially begin the training. Annabeth was nowhere to be found. When Jason caught his eye, he simply shrugged and offered a sad smile. So, he didn't know where Annabeth was either. Sighing, Percy focused on Alvis out on the field.

"We welcome all of you in the stands and all of you watching out in the world!" Alvis smiled proudly. "We here at Goode, have spent years training this generation's Elementals and honing their skills to help stop all the terror and threat the new world now offers. We hold these trainings so we can show everyone their progress. Today is sparring. The air Elemental, Jason Grace will be sparring against the water Elemental Percy Jackson first. Please enjoy watching our future heroes in action."

There was a polite cheer from the crowd as Percy and Jason walked across the field to stand across from each other. A barrier was lifted, letting water flow into the dried river around the training arena. They all had their elements readily available to them whenever they did these trainings.

Percy took a breath and adjusted his feet, the dirt and rocks scuffing his shoes. The air around them was so silent that Percy could hear his heart thumping in his ears. When he noticed Annabeth had appeared beside Thalia a few feet away, his heart beat a little faster. Momentarily distracted, Percy jumped when Alvis let out a whistle to signal them to begin. No time to think about her now.

Waving his arms in front of him in a whirl wind pattern, Percy smirked when a large bubble of water spread from the river and into the air around Jason. It thinned out and began to rapidly circle around his friend as Jason shot up into the air. Grinning, Percy laughed as Jason shot a few gusts of powerful air at him, the blasts strong enough to make him stagger.

"Knock me off my feet!" Percy shouted loud enough for Jason to hear. "Making me stagger won't do as much as making me fall on my ass!"

"Disrupt the flow of air beneath my feet!" Jason shouted back. He smiled. "You won't land too many attacks if I'm flying around up here!"

Percy let out a loud laugh before jumping forward and smacking his hands together to attempt just what Jason suggested. He circled his hands as he flew and grinned to himself when his water began to slice right under Jason's feet. He would drop a few inches each time the water flew underneath him. Just as Percy jumped again to try another attack, a strong gust of air pushed against his chest and had him flying back and landing a few feet away. The last attack Percy managed to hit caused Jason to crash the final few feet back to the ground.

Percy coughed a few times as he sat up. When he hit the ground, he had the wind knocked out of him. Suddenly there was a hand reaching out for him. Percy glanced up to see Jason smiling down at him. Taking his hand, Jason was easily able to help Percy stand on his feet. They shook hands quickly before slapping each other on the back.

When Percy glanced back over at Annabeth and Thalia he found them both rolling their eyes and attempting to cover their laughter. Annabeth met his eyes and he smiled. Just the sight of her had his heart skipping a beat in his chest. His smile widened when he winked at her and she softly smiled back.

0~0~0~0~0

Annabeth took a deep breath and carefully rubbed her hands together. Her skin was hot to the touch and only grew warmer by the second. She paced her bedroom floor and tried to calm down. This always happened and she found herself growing more and more annoyed each time it did.

She should be able to control herself and her emotions by now. It's been years since she discovered she was an Elemental but anytime she got emotional, she would begin to lose control and have to retreat to her room. When Annabeth paced by her window, she paused to glance out.

There were several abnormals all gathered together in the training yard for the welcoming party. Every year when new abnormals would come, the school would let the students throw a party out in the yard to welcome. Every year, Annabeth would watch from her bedroom window.

It wasn't that she didn't want to go to the party, she was just never safe enough to. Alvis always told her she was dangerous and needed to be controlled. She always resisted the urge to light him on fire when he did. She wasn't some backyard fire he could put out and restart when he pleased. She couldn't be controlled by someone else; _she_ was the heat her fire fed from. She was the one in control.

Or…well she used to be.

She hated being put on display. Alvis would demand that the Elementals battle and prove to the humans that they were safe and growing stronger to help them. Everyone was afraid of her. She was the one who had caused the most damage in the past; she had been the one to take the most lives. Fire can be beautiful and warm but it can also be destructive and deadly. She was a walking warning sign.

She had only finishing training with Thalia an hour before. After holding back the entire time to ensure she wouldn't hurt her friend, Alvis had shouted at her until she was literally seeing red. She exploded in a sea of flames and could have burnt the place down if sprinklers hadn't been showered over her. Thalia had built a wall of Earth to protect herself and easily avoided being burned but when Annabeth had cooled down, she had quickly ran back to her room.

Struggling to calm down, Annabeth desperately stuck her hands in her bathroom sink and let cold water rush over them. Steam erupted from her fingertips, making her sigh loudly. She didn't want this for herself. She wished she could control herself and be completely unfeeling. Annabeth didn't want to hurt anyone who didn't deserve it and she didn't want to put innocent people at risk.

"This shouldn't be this hard." Annabeth whispered to herself. "I don't want to be dangerous."

Pulling her hands from the sink, Annabeth studied them. Tears burned at her eyes. She never understood why she had to be chosen as the fire elemental. She didn't know why she had been given this burden; she would do anything to feel normal if only for a day. She wanted to see the world beyond the walls surrounding her. She wanted to feel the wind in her hair and the ground beneath her feet as she ran as fast as she could. She wanted to feel something other than fear and guilt and anger without having to worry about what she might do when she did.

Annabeth didn't know what kind of life she could have outside the academy walls, but she felt like she deserved the right to find out. She was still human, and she wanted to experience what humans did. Annabeth and the others weren't the ones to destroy the world; they shouldn't have to be locked away for crimes those in their pasts have done but the time for arguing was over. The world had already decided it didn't want them free. They were locked away for a reason.

Annabeth shut her palms and sighed. Something burned bitterly in her chest; a feeling of dread crept up her spine. As she turned to gaze out her window at all the abnormals below her, all she saw was fire.

* * *

 _Headcannons:_

 _~When Jason saw Piper for the first time, he literally was so amazed he didn't realize he was floating until he floated straight into a door frame. Thalia doesn't let him live it down._

 _~ Percy has mixed feelings about sparing with Annabeth. He knows he's one of the only people who could really hurt her physically so he tries to go as easy as he can. On the other hand, he really enjoys flirting with her while she's trying to shoot him with a flame ball. She gets flustered sometimes and he can pin her easier. Everyone notices the days Percy wins their spars, Annabeth always looks pissed and Percy can't stop smiling._

 _~ Thalia is the only other person besides Annabeth to have "autographed" items. When she was younger she used to engrave her initials into rocks and use her abilities to launch them over the wall and into the city on the other side. She did it for months until she ended up hitting a guy on a bike in the head with one. Alvis made sure to watch her when she was outside after that._

 **If Saudade has taught me anything is that I really enjoy writing these serious stories with semi wacky characters sprinkled in.**

 **Like you already know, your girl Katie is gonna make Nico someone hilarious and Percy obviously isn't going to stop trying to woo Annabeth**

 **But on the flip side, they are all dealing with some serious stuff and shit is gonna hit the fan soon and we're all gonna be sucked into the drama of it all.**

 **If you are new to my stories, HELLO and welcome.**

 **I recommend reading Saudade or at least the author's notes to see who I am but it'll leak through here. I think I'll give you guys a few more chapters of normal before I hit you with heavy.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed! You guys did give me twenty reviews so I'll be sure to make sure the next chapter is really good. I haven't typed it up yet but i promise to stick to the deal starting now.**

 **20 reviews for a chapter sneak peek!**

 **Thank you for reading! Be sure to review and check out my other stories!**


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